Satit openly admits that the Democrat Party has not yet found a candidate for Bangkok governor. He views incumbent Chadchart's voter base as firmly established, but is certain the party will field candidates for all 50 Bangkok council constituencies.
On 28 Apr 2026 GMT+7, at the Democrat Party headquarters, Satit Wongnongtoey, party-list MP and Deputy Leader of the Democrat Party, spoke about progress in nominating the party's candidate for Bangkok governor. He said the party had held an executive committee meeting to approve candidates for all 50 Bangkok council seats. Regarding the governor candidate, discussions are ongoing. He admitted that under current political circumstances, it is not easy to find a candidate, especially as the current governor has a strong voter base. The Democrat Party itself has only 21 MPs and none from Bangkok. Anyone running as the party's governor candidate would need to make a personal sacrifice, including resigning from their regular job to run.
Approaching others who have not yet been publicly mentioned.
"We must acknowledge that political competition is challenging. Party leader Abhisit has tried to talk and approach several people. We believe that once clarity is reached, we will hold a press conference to officially introduce the candidate. If we secure one, we will make a clear announcement. If not, we will be straightforward and transparent about it," said Satit. When pressed on whether they are currently approaching suitable individuals to run, Satit said they have both approached and discussed with several people. Regarding the two names reported in the media—Mom Luang Korakot Kasemsri and Mr. Apichai Techaboonl—he confirmed that they have not yet been contacted or approached. Instead, the party is considering other individuals whose names have not been publicized. "We have kept this matter very confidential, because revealing names could affect those individuals," Satit added.
Prefers a new candidate, not someone from within the Democrat Party.
When asked if, failing to find an outsider, the party would consider an internal candidate, Satit said there has been no discussion about using someone from within the party. The party wants a new person with fresh ideas to develop Bangkok and bring change with a younger generation's perspective. However, everyone understands this is not easy. The party plans to announce council candidates first. If they secure a governor candidate, they will announce that person immediately; if not, they will be upfront about it. When further asked if the party would refrain from running a governor candidate if none is found, Satit replied that if no candidate is found, they would not field anyone. However, they are committed to definitely fielding candidates for the Bangkok council.